The swaddling method is an effective method to reduce the pain and stress of preterm infants.

It was determined in the study that the swaddling method reduced the pain of the preterm infants during the aspiration procedure.

Swaddling method is an easy, practical and safe method that nurses can use to reduce pain during the aspiration procedure in preterm infants.

The study was carried out to determine the effect of the swaddling method on pain in preterm infants (between 27 and 36 weeks) hospitalized in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit during the aspiration procedure. Preterm infants were recruited by convenience sampling from level III neonatal intensive care units in a city in Turkey.

The study was conducted in a randomized controlled trial manner. The study consisted of preterm infants (n = 70) receiving care or treatment at a neonatal intensive care unit. While swaddling was applied to the infants in the experimental group before the aspiration process. The pain was assessed before, during, and after the nasal aspiration using the Premature Infant Pain Profile.

No significant difference was found in terms of pre-procedural pain scores whereas a statistically significant difference was detected in terms of pain scores during and after the procedure between the groups.

It was determined in the study that the swaddling method reduced the pain of the preterm infants during the aspiration procedure.

This study emphasized that swaddling had pain-reducing during the aspiration procedure in the neonatal intensive care unit in preterm infants. It is recommended that future studies be conducted using different invasive procedures in preterm infants born earlier.

Aspiration

Pretermature

Preterm infants

Pain

Swaddling

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